ENGLAND prepared to set off and establish a new Pakistani base camp in Lahore a little the wiser and happily unscathed from a close call in their tour opener against the Patron's team.

ENGLAND prepared to set off and establish a new Pakistani base camp in Lahore a little the wiser and happily unscathed from a close call in their tour opener against the Patron's team.

Without either Marcus Trescothick's 162 unbeaten runs or a sudden surge of wickets from debutant Liam Plunkett (four for 16) and Ashley Giles (four for 39), England's Ashes heroes would have suffered a chastening defeat at the Pindi Stadium yesterday.

Instead, they fought back to emerge 52-run victors in a see-saw contest which left a relieved Michael Vaughan ticking some but by no means all the boxes he had hoped to fill in.

Trescothick apart, England's batsmen were twice a collective failure - and their bowlers were unable to test themselves in authentic sub-Continental conditions because they had to operate on a pitch Vaughan described as more Headingley than Rawalpindi.

It all left the captain with much to ponder as he and his team today made the five-hour journey by road to Lahore.

They are set to meet up again with their Super Series stars Andrew Flintoff and Stephen Harmison in time for the second and final tour match against Pakistan A as they try to ready themselves for the first Test in Multan a week later.

"They are experienced members of the team, and it is always nice to have your full squad together," Vaughan said.